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player ready...North Shore Country Day sophomore Braden Adamson-Tate and teammate Ben Potter, a senior, had a brief conversation shortly after the Uplift boys basketball team ended the Raiders’ season.
Potter’s high-school basketball career had ended minutes earlier. When it did, Adamson-Tate instantly became the heavy favorite to succeed Potter as the Raiders’ primary ball-handler and a crucial playmaker.
Potter discussed the key to Adamson-Tate taking on a much larger role, following Uplift’s 77-44 victory in the Class 2A Guerin Regional final on Friday, Feb. 26.
“He’s got all the talent to be the best point guard in our league,” Potter said. “It’s about him kind of putting the time in. I’ve talked to him [about] just making sure he’s working in the offseason. If he puts in the effort, the work, he’s going to be good.”
Adamson-Tate, who was the first player off of the Raiders’ bench against Uplift, agreed with that notion. So did coach Rashid Smith, whose North Shore squad finished its season 16-9.
“Braden’s capable of doing it,” Smith said. “He’s athletic and he’s a strong ball-handler. It’s up to him, whether he can fill that role or not.”
Adamson-Tate (four points) said he plans on focusing on many of the specifics of playing point guard, including dribbling through his legs, crossing over defenders and improving his step-back jumper.
All three skills figure to help him when he has the ball in his hands, especially against the type of defensive pressure that Uplift — the defending Class 2A state champions — used to pull away from North Shore. The Titans (18-7) only led by five points, 39-34, at halftime in River Grove, but they outscored the Raiders 23-6 in the third quarter.
They pulled away by wearing down North Shore, both mentally and physically. Adamson-Tate brought the ball up at times, but that duty was primarily Potter’s. He was under considerable pressure throughout the game, especially when Uplift guarded him full-court.
The Titans also trapped Potter (eight points) and his teammates.
The experience of playing against athletes, and a defense, of that caliber in the final game of the season “was awesome,” Adamson-Tate said. “Going against tough guys who are going to play in college — and were making it difficult for me, [pressuring] me, to keep the ball safe — I think that’s awesome for me, especially as a sophomore.”
The majority of the work needed to develop Adamson-Tate’s game will likely take place during this summer. He, like Potter, focuses on soccer three out of four seasons during the year. Adamson-Tate plays for the Chicago Fire U16 club team. Potter is committed to play soccer at Middlebury College (Vermont).
“It’s difficult [to find time for basketball], for sure, because both of us are going to go on to play in college,” Potter said. “That’s kind of your primary focus.”
Potter is proof that it’s possible to do, however.
“It’s [about] carving out time to make sure you do both sports,” Potter said.
Game notes
* Senior guard Matt Morette led North Shore with 18 points and 10 rebounds in his final high-school game. Senior forward Brendan Doyle added nine points and eight rebounds.
* Freshman guard Davarion Jacobs led Uplift with 21 points.
Eric Van Dril is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
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